Surprises Come In All Sizes
by queso.con.queso
Summary: Mac & Stella are finally together , but when Peyton comes back unexpectedly will things last ? RERELEASED - originally written chat 1-9 in 2010 , RE-EDITING the chapters and planning on going past the original 9 chapters
1. Chapter 1

**This is Chapter One … i'm re releasing this story as i originally wrote it 2years ago and it had so many errors as i was not very good at writing. enjoy R&R**

He started to stir, it was morning he knew that much, but what time, who knew.

He shifted slightly doing his best not to disturb her. He brushed a curl out of her face, and stroked her cheek. She was beautiful, and he couldn't have asked for better.

It had been about eleven months now since they had started dating, and he couldn't be happier, it had taken him so long to admit his feelings in the first place and they'd both had their problems, bad relationships for one.

His wife had died, and it had taken him years to move on, he'd gotten into a relationship with Peyton, who'd left with him to England, but then she'd decided to stay without him.

Stella had had worse though, she'd ended up putting three bullets into her boyfriend's chest, then she'd had a creepy stalker who was actually trying to get to him through her.

It'd been tough, and he was so glad that he had friends like Daniel Messer and Donald Flack Jr. who had been on his ass about his denial.

"Hey, it's not polite to stare y'know?" Stella Bonasera said, bringing her boyfriend of just under a year "back to earth".

"I wasn't staring, just thinking," he smiled and she chuckled.

"Well happy birthday," she traced his chest with a finger, and placed a soft kiss.

"Yeah I guess that's today," he chuckled.

"I love you."

"I love you too Stel," they both lay there smiling, "oh … and I have a question for you, something I've been thinking about for a while."

"Yeah and what would that be?"

"Do you wanna move in with me?"

She looked at him sitting up slightly.

"Did Mac Taylor just ask me what I think he did?" she couldn't conceal the little look of shock on her face.

"Yes, I think he did," he smiled watching her as the look of shock faded and was replaced with a look of not knowing what to think.

"Are you sure...I mean have you thought...really...Mac...are you...?"she tried to form a full sentence but couldn't.

"I'm sure, do you wanna move in with me?"

"I'd love to," and then they were embracing and next they were locked at the lips.

"Well," she said breaking them apart, "how about we get the birthday boy some breakfast?"

"Why not," he shrugged, "You wanna cook in or go out?" he asked as he sat up as well.

"It's up to you, but either way you don't lift a finger," she smiled as she kissed his nose, then scooted out of the bed, grabbed an oversized t-shirt from the bedside table, threw it on and headed towards the bathroom, grabbing a towel on the way.

"Be right out, think about what you wanna do," and she gave a little wave.

He laughed to himself, he was so in love, him, Mac Taylor, had fallen in love again, he never thought he would but he had, and he'd fallen just about as hard as you could


	2. Chapter 2

Stella stepped out of the shower as there was a knock at the door.

"Hey babe!" she called out, "could you get that?"

"Got it!" he said in response, so with that Mac made his way to the door.

He looked through the peep hole, and did a double take, then he heard the all too familiar voice.

"Mac it's me, Peyton open up."

He was just standing there, in shock, not knowing what to do, why had she come back? Didn't she say England was home? He'd told her it was over, hadn't he?

"Peyton, I can't talk now," he whispered, hoping that she'd get the hint to leave.

"Mac, come on let me in, we need to talk," he felt the door start to move.

"Peyton, I don't have time for this now, I'm busy," he pushed back against the door, trying to close it without slamming it.

"Look Peyton, I told you we were done, that I've moved on," she cut him off.

"Mac, can't we just talk?"

"I wish it were that simple, but Stella's here, it's my birthday, and I don't want to talk to you. We're done. Been done."

"Mac just let me in, I wanted to talk to her too," and with that she began pushing against the door again, and her voice was rising.

"MAC!" he heard Stella yelling from his room, "WHO WAS IT?"

He was just closing the door when she entered the room wearing a pair of sweat pants and one of his NYPD shirts, wet curls surrounded her face. Then Mac began to lose the battle of the door.

She froze, looked at Mac, looked at Peyton who was now halfway through the door and then she lost it.

"What the hell is she doing here Mac?"

"Look Stella, let me explain," Peyton stepped forward.

"No, you will leave", Mac said to Peyton.

"No," she responded, "I'll explain why I'm here."

Stella raised her voice to be heard, "Mac what the hell is she doing here? Are you two still? Was I just to pass the time? Or was I a rebound?" Her face was beat red.

"No, no, no, and no. Stella I love you, and I want you to move in with me, and me and Peyton are through, we've been through," he turned to Peyton, "as I was telling her," he turned to Stella and started to walk towards her.

Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes as he moved towards her. He pulled her into a hug and she broke down.

"Shh … it's alright, I'm not gonna leave you, I would never leave you, it took me so long to get you in the first place if I lost you I don't know what I'd do with myself Stel," she stood there with his strong arms around her, she felt safe, like she always did with him.

"Mac," she managed between tears, "I love you too, but I just, something always happens when I am finally happy, I don't wanna lose you" she pulled back a little so she could look into his eyes.

"Stel, why would you loose me, it's just me and you now, Peyton and I are done, as done as you can be," he said giving Peyton a look over Stella's shoulder.

With that they broke apart, and stood there holding hands, "Peyton, you can leave, or you can talk to both of us, it's not a talk to one deal, because we're a team," Mac said this sounding very intimidating.

"Fine," a tone of annoyance was heard in her voice.

It was time for an explanation, why in the world had Peyton come back?


	3. Chapter 3

"Ok, so let's hear it, why the hell are you here?" Peyton sat on the couch, Stella was in her face, yelling, screaming, freaking out, and neither Mac nor Peyton could blame her either.

Peyton didn't get why she wouldn't just let her speak, but then again from what she'd seen when she'd worked with Stella she wasn't very stable or secure.

"Look, Stella I'm here to talk to Mac, you're not involved in this," she stood up standing her own ground, she and Stella were now almost nose to nose in a screaming match, Mac just stood still not knowing how to go about breaking this up.

Mac Taylor was in shock, pure shock that was the simplest way to put it. His ex-girlfriend had come back from England, and for no apparent reason. He'd just asked his present girlfriend to move in with him and she'd said yes, and on top of that he had been thinking about proposing to Stella but now as he stood watching the two go at it he was almost positive this all had been thrown out the window.

He could tell that Stella was angry and upset with him, she most likely thought that he, Mac, had known Peyton was coming back or thought that this was all some plot against her.

"Stel, come here," he finally regained his voice. Stella turned on the spot and walked towards her boyfriend.

"Look," she began in a whisper, "I don't know what kinda stunt you're trying to pull Mac, but seriously, what the hell?" With that his thoughts were confirmed.

"Stella I had no idea that she was coming back, if I had I would have told you first, and secondly why would I plan to be at my place if I'd known? I've avoided her since she left."

"Mac," tears began to roll down her cheeks, "why'd she hafta come back? We're happy, I'm happy; we've been together for a long time in my book. I love you so much, and..." she lost it, she broke down, and he stood there holding her in his arms.

She felt safe in his arms; even though he was an ex-marine and had been for the longest he still managed to have strong arms.

"Stel, look I'm sorry, sorry I didn't know, sorry I kept talking to her, sorry she took it the wrong way, sorry..." she suddenly regained herself, and Mac realized exactly what he'd said wrong the second it left his lips.

"Wait, what? You two were still talking?" She pulled out of his arms and stepped back with a look of disgust on her face.

Peyton suddenly seemed to come back into the conversation, "Well of course we were in contact, we're still friends, just because he moved on doesn't mean we can't talk!"

The two were now at each other's throats again, and Mac was not invited to this conversation any longer "So you didn't move on?" Stella spat at Peyton.

"I did, but it didn't work out, so what's it matter to you?" she replied smugly.

"So you think you can just come back, because it didn't work out for you in England? What did you think he'd just run back to you when you came here?" Mac stepped forward and now held the two back from each other.

"Yeah, that was definitely my intentions!" Peyton screamed.

"Hey," Mac stepped in now, he was fuming, "Both of you stop right now or I swear I'll kick you both out of my apartment."

He was mad to say the least and both girls knew this but both were still fuming themselves and neither wanted to back down entirely.

"Go ahead!" Stella screamed. "I'm sorry that I was actually happy for once, actually content, sorry I was in a good and what i thought to be honest relationship but apparently I was wrong, you still love her don't you Mac?" Her eyes watered up so fast at these last words and she couldn't help but start sobbing. She tried speaking but couldn't regain herself.

Mac tried to reach out for her, she shrugged him off and pulled away.

"I loved you," she stammered.

With that she spun on the spot headed to the bedroom, she came out what seemed like a second later with a bag, and she was no longer wearing his clothes. She went straight to the door eyes red, cheeks wet from the tears, and still barefoot from the shower.

She pushed past him.

And...SLAM

She was gone.

"Mac..." Peyton started, but Mac just held up a hand.

"Just go, leave, get out of my place, go, and I don't wanna see you anytime soon."

She headed towards the door and as she got to it turned her head and said, "Too bad that you don't want to see me soon, because I have a job, and sadly it's at the same crime lab that you work at. I only took a leave of absence and used all my vacation time, my spot was still there, I was told to come back anytime before the year was done," and with that she left too.

And Mac stood there, and for once Mac Taylor felt a tear roll down his cheek, and then another one. He'd screwed up, pretty badly too, all he would've had to do was tell Stella that they were still in contact, and none of this would've happened. He hadn't wanted to keep it a secret but he knew Stella would've reacted this same way and it would've destroyed their relationship, but now he was pretty sure he'd managed that.

…

Mac sat down and flipped the TV on, just then his phone went off, he didn't even bother checking who it was, he just hoped it was her and answered


	4. Chapter 4

"Hello"

"Mac?"

"Stel?"

"Mac, I miss you, but … " she trailed off.

"Stel, I love you, and I miss you too, I wish you'd have heard me out."

"Mac I just hafta re think some stuff right now, I thought you were telling me everything, I stood there looking like an idiot defending you and us and she just shot me down," her eyes began to water up again.

"Stella I tried telling you she means nothing to me, why can't you believe that?" he just wished he could hold her right now.

"Mac … I want to but you kept it from me that you still talk to her, and I don't get why you'd do that?" she started crying, he could hear her on the other end of the line.

"I didn't tell you because I was trying to get her to leave me alone, we lost contact after we ended then a few months ago she called me and apologized, and we talked things out. I specifically told her not to come near my place or yours, or near you, or us. I told her how I had moved on, how we were happy, how I don't feel for her anymore like that. She said she felt the same way and that she just wanted to try and be friends, I agreed because of the fact that she too has had a bad past with ex's.

I didn't want her to lose it either because that would be on me, Stella Bonasera I asked you to be mine, I asked you to move in with me, not her. She never lived with me even when we were dating, she would spend the night once in a blue moon. Stel I swear to you this, what we have is entirely different. I love you, I can say without a doubt in my mind that you are an equal with Claire in my mind. You know I don't like to compare people but I don't know how else to make you understand."

There was silence on the other end of the line now. Then a big sigh.

"Mac, I wish she'd just gone away and stayed away. You know I was always jealous towards her," she paused.

"Stel, did you hear nothing of what I just said to you?" he hated how stubborn she was when upset. And then … the line cut out.

"Mac?" she heard nothing.

"Stel?" nothing.

He quickly redialed her number.

It rang and rang, she wasn't picking up … meanwhile Stella Bonasera stared at her phone, why in the world would he have hung up? He was mad at her now and she didn't get why, she hadn't been talking to her ex, she hadn't been lying to him.

She curled up on her couch, pulled a blanket on, and soon she felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. Stella Bonasera lay there crying herself to sleep, life sucked right now.

She wasn't going to pick up any time soon and he knew it, he'd have to try again later, but in the mean time he had something else he could do.

Her phone rang, she rolled over to see the ID 'Mac Taylor'.

She picked up.

"Hey Mac"

"Look Peyton I'm not calling for some friendly conversation," Mac spoke with an apparent hint of anger in his voice.

She knew exactly where this was going, and she didn't like it one bit.

"I'm calling to ask you if you're happy, are you happy that you have now torn me and Stella apart, what we had was good while it lasted, but guess what it's over, you ended it yourself when you told me you weren't coming back to New York.

You butted into it, me and Stella, and I love her so thank you very much, when you interrupted I had just asked her to move in with me." Mac finished and waited to hear what his ex would try to say.

"Mac, I'm sorry that she's not happy, but if she's mad at you for something this small … " he cut her off.

"Small? Is that what this is to you? Peyton for crying out loud you knew her and worked with her, you know how she is when it comes to trusting people with telling her everything. When you showed up she thought that I knew you were coming, she thought I had a 'date' with you. That I had been waiting for you to come back, that this was all some make Peyton jealous to get her back hoax."

"Mac she overreacted I simply came over to tell you I was back and that I'd gotten a job at the crime lab and … "

"And what that you still had feelings for me and wanted to be with me because whatever happened in London wasn't such a happy ending? Is that it?"

She paused, "Mac, hear me out, I never stopped loving you, when you returned to New York I was broken up on the inside, I had been kind of hoping that you'd stay with me in London."

"Yeah well Peyton you hurt me, you hurt me bad, it cut me when you wrote me that letter, and honestly I'm still not over that letter, you yes, that letter, no. Stella was there for me and I was there for her and so we helped each other out as friends at first but soon it grew."

And then she heard a dial tone...Mac Taylor had hung up on her and even though he knew Stella Bonasera was mad at him he was going to try to make it better, Peyton sat on her couch and cried.

Why couldn't he see that she wanted him back, she didn't mean to hurt Stella, but she (Stella) had gotten into the way of what she (Peyton) wanted most right now...Mac Taylor


	5. Chapter 5

Mac walked into his office and found a surprise.

A card lay open on his desk.

_Mac,_

_I know that I should've just called out but I didn't want to talk face to face or even over the phone, if you want to be with Peyton I understand, but I'm going away for awhile now, back to Greece to get some fresh air, I've already run it by Chief I've got the vacation time to back it up._

_Stella Bonasera_

His heart fell into his stomach.

She was gone she wasn't going to be back for awhile, unless he went after her, but he didn't know how well that would go.

So he decided to go to the only person in the lab who he knew would be able to answer his questions...Lindsay Monroe.

…

Stella Bonasera could now say that she'd been in Greece as long as the flight she'd taken to get there.

She strolled around the plaza that she'd visited many times before. Suddenly she heard an all too familiar voice behind her.

"Stella"

She turned...Mac Taylor stood behind her.

"Mac!" she was shocked. "What are you doing here; I came here to get away."

"Stella calm down and listen to me," he said firmly but nicely without showing his frustration with the whole situation.

"Mac how did you know where to find me, I mean I know I left you the note but how'd you get specifics?"

They both paused and looked at each other, "Lindsay" they said in unison.

"She was the only one I told, she bought me the ticket and everything," Stella began, a tear rolled down her cheek.

"She gave me a ticket too," Mac stated as he began to tell Stella the story.

_He'd found the card and immediately gone to find Lindsay she'd know the details, she was the only one that Stella fully trusted even when they had been going out. Lindsay would always know things before him._

"_Lindsay where's Stella?" he said almost out of breath, he'd run up three flights of stairs and down what had seemed like the longest hallway to get there._

"_And don't give me some line that she told you not to tell, I'm asking as your boss," but before he could finish she turned around and handed him an envelope that said 'good luck'._

_She smiled and turned back to her work._

_He opened it and was surprised, inside lay a note and a two way ticket to Greece, the note read as follows:_

"_She did tell me not to tell you, so in a way I'm listening to that request. Details are on the post it stuck on the doorway that you're standing by."_

_He glanced up and sure enough there was a yellow post it._

_He grabbed it and then returned to reading the note._

"_Good luck, and hope you're ready for some news, that's all I'll say, go get her."_

_He patted Lindsay on the back._

"_Thanks, I owe you one," and with that he'd left for the airport._

"Wow, I'm gonna kill that girl," Stella said.

"Stel, don't do that and come on let's go home," he extended a hand that he didn't expect her to take. He was right she turned away from him with tears in her eyes.

"I can't"

"Why not Stel? Did Peyton say something to you?"

She turned to look at him. "Mac it's not easy anymore things aren't simple it's all complicated now."

"How Stel explain it to me?"

"Mac I'm pregnant," now she fully broke down, Mac pulled her in and held her shaking body.

His face lost its color, but Stella continued through sobs, "And Peyton called me last night," she sighed.

"What did she say to you? And how far are you Stella when were you going to tell me?"

"I'm sorry but I didn't know until the night we fought, I … I was at home … and I looked at my calendar I was so busy last month I didn't...didn't realize I'd missed … " she paused. "But I realized this month … and then I took a test … but I didn't want to tell you."

"Stella what did Peyton say to you."

Stella pulled away from Mac, "She said that you were giving her her job back and that she'd be working when you work, she said you two were talking again, and then..." she trailed off.

"What?"

"She said that she wanted me to meet her son...your son."

"What do you mean my son, she was never pregnant, if she had been she would of told me. It's got to be a lie Stella."

Stella looked into his eyes, "But what if it isn't?"

Mac Taylor had just received a knife through his heart kind of feeling


	6. Chapter 6

They stared at each other. Mac thought about what Stella had just said, what if she was right, how was he to know if Peyton was lying or not, after all she had come back randomly, she had tried to tear him and Stella apart (and so far was succeeding with that).

"Stel, she would've told me," he stated, but the more he thought about it he didn't know, would she have told him?

"Mac, you two lost contact; she randomly comes back without telling you. She shows up at your place on your birthday not expecting anyone else to be there!" her voice got louder and louder with each word.

"Alright, well there's only one way to get to the bottom of this, we're going back."

"No Mac, I just got out of that place I'm not goin' back until I use my vacation time," Stella shook her head.

"Well if you're not going back then neither am I," Mac stated, he reached out and took her hand.

She pulled away, "Mac, we're not together anymore, where would you stay?"

As she said this the reality of the situation set in, they were currently ex's and she was pregnant at least a month so with his child.

He sighed, he wanted to fix this but he didn't have any clue as to how, she was so stubborn at times and he didn't know if it'd be better to leave her be and walk away or if he should stay.

After a minute of consideration he looked at her.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere without you," he said, reaching for her hand.

She didn't pull away this time, she let him hold her hand, and after a few seconds she stepped into his arms.

"Stella, please take me back?" his eyes began to water, he didn't want this to be the last time he held her like this, he wanted her back, he knew he'd messed up.

"Mac, I just … " she trailed off.

He brushed her hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"Stel, I love you."

She hugged him tightly, and nodded into his chest.

"Just don't do anything like this again please," he tightened his own grip on her.

"Never"

…

As they got into the room they let go of each other's hands and Stella headed to the bathroom while Mac sat on the couch.

It wasn't like your typical hotel with two beds, a little TV, a little table, a chair or two, and a bathroom. It was more like the suites in hotels that were bigger and had more to them.

There was an actual wall that somewhat separated the bedroom from the "living room". As he got up to "tour" he saw that there was even a mini kitchen, which included a table, two chairs, and a microwave along with a mini fridge.

He suddenly realized that Stella had been gone for awhile, he walked towards the bathroom door and knocked.

"Stel?"

"I'm fine," her voice could barely be heard.

"Stella Bonasera don't lie to me," he began to turn the knob.

"I'm sick Mac," he opened the door to find her huddled in the corner by the toilet.

"Stel," he walked in closed the lid to the toilet and sat down, "you're not sick, you're pregnant, maybe even as much as two months, I think we should go see an OBGYN."

"Ok"

And with that he helped her to her feet and out of the bathroom, Stella Bonasera pregnant, this was going to be fun


End file.
